Mary Palmer wrote, in the earlier part of the eighteenth century, some lively dialogues which may be the earliest literary writing to use the local dialect of Devon. They remained unpublished for nearly a hundred years. She was said too to have written poetry.

Milestones

9 February 1716 Mary Reynolds (later Palmer) was born at Plympton Erle or Earl in Devon (now swallowed by Plymouth), the third child and the eldest daughter among eleven children.